Regional

Malaysian lorry driver jailed for smuggling 43 pups

A LORRY driver who smuggled in 43 live puppies in two sealed carton boxes was jailed for six months.

Malaysian Abdul Aziz Kassen, 45, pleaded guilty on Thursday to importing the puppies without a licence at the Woodlands Checkpoint on March 6. He also admitted to a second charge of cruelty to animals.

The dogs were hungry and thirsty when found. One of them, a pomeranian, later died.

The court heard that Abdul Aziz, who was short of money, had decided to transport the puppies from Johor to Singapore for a man called Ah Chai, who agreed to pay him S$309 (RM800) .

The maximum penalty for each offence is a S$10,000 (RM25,899) fine and 12 months in jail. — The Straits Times / Asia News Net-work